Air Fryer Baked Apples
Whole apples stuffed with oats, brown sugar and walnuts.
Kit that makes this foolproof
A few inexpensive bits that get you crispier results with less mess.
A roomy air fryer
A larger basket means fewer batches and crispier results.
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Perforated liners
Less sticking and mess, without blocking the airflow.
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Silicone tongs
Turn and lift without scratching the non-stick basket.
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Before You Start
A baked apple is apple crumble that assembled itself: the fruit is the dish, the stuffing is the topping, and the air fryer bakes them in half the oven's time. Firm eating apples hold their shape where cooking apples collapse. Core them without breaking through the base and the hollow becomes a bowl of buttery oat crumble.
Instructions
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1
Core the apples from the top with a corer or teaspoon, stopping 1 cm short of the base so the filling stays in. Widen the cavity to about 3 cm.
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2
Score a shallow line around each apple's equator. This vent stops the skin bursting as the flesh expands.
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3
Rub the oats, sugar, walnuts, raisins, butter, spices and salt together into a rough crumble.
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4
Pack the filling into the cavities, mounding the extra on top.
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5
Sit the apples upright in the basket and air fry at 170°C / 340°F for 16 to 18 minutes, until a knife slides into the side easily and the topping is toasted.
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6
Rest 5 minutes and serve warm with cream, custard or vanilla ice cream, spooning up the juices underneath.
♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 170°C / 340°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- The equator score is the difference between a burst, slumped apple and a neat one. Do not skip the thirty seconds it takes.
- Eating apples, not Bramleys. Cooking apples are bred to collapse into sauce, which is precisely what you do not want here.
🔀 Make it your own
- Swap walnuts for pecans and add a chopped date to each cavity.
- A spoonful of the honey butter from the roasted peaches over the top, because the recipes are neighbours.
📦 Storing & reheating
Fridge for 3 days. Reheat at 160°C for 4 to 5 minutes. Cold, halved over porridge, they are also a five star breakfast.
❓ Frequently asked
What apples are best for baking whole?
Firm eating apples: Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Granny Smith. They soften while keeping their walls. Bramleys and other cookers collapse into purée.
How long do baked apples take in an air fryer?
16 to 18 minutes at 170°C / 340°F for medium apples, about half the time of a conventional oven. They are done when a knife meets no resistance.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
